When is my Social Security payment? The 2027 schedule explained

Social Security does not pay everyone on the same day. Your payment day depends on your birthday, and on when you started getting benefits. The rules are printed on the Social Security Administration's 2027 schedule.

The three Wednesdays

Most people are paid on a Wednesday:

• Born on the 1st to the 10th of the month: the second Wednesday.
• Born on the 11th to the 20th: the third Wednesday.
• Born on the 21st to the 31st: the fourth Wednesday.

It is the day of the month that matters, not the month or the year. Someone born on March 14 is in the third Wednesday group, like anyone else born on the 11th to the 20th.

The first three months of 2027

In January 2027 the payments go out on January 13, January 20 and January 27. February: 10, 17 and 24. March: 10, 17 and 24. The payment schedule page lists your date for every month.

Paid on the 3rd

Two groups are paid on the 3rd of the month instead: people who started receiving Social Security before May 1997, and people who receive both Social Security and SSI. For people who get both, SSI is paid on the 1st and Social Security on the 3rd.

When the 1st or the 3rd falls on a weekend or a holiday, the date moves. The SSA's printed calendar marks the day used in those months.

The January payment is the first with the raise

The 3.6% cost-of-living increase starts with the benefit payable in January 2027. The COLA calculator shows what it adds to your check.

If your money does not arrive

Give it three more mailing days after the expected date. That is what the SSA asks before you contact it.